lundi, juin 11, 2007

Sermon for Corpus Christi

He that eats this bread shall live forever. John 6:59

Dear Brethren,When a person comes to be baptized, the priest asks him: What do you ask of the Church of God? He answers through the mouth of his godparents if he has not yet reached the age of reason, “Faith.” Then the priest asks again: What does Faith offer you? “Life everlasting!”

Life everlasting! I guess we all desire it. One cannot obtain it if one does not desire it, because life everlasting is not something that arrives in ones life just by chance. God Himself is looking for men who seek it. He asks us through Psalm 33:13 Who is the man that desireth life and loveth to see good days? Then Saint Benedict imagined the rest of the dialogue between God and such a soul. "If hearing this thou answerest, I am he. God saith to thee: If thou wilt have true and everlasting life, keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile; turn away from evil and do good; seek after peace and pursue it. [Psalm 33:15] And when you shall have done these things, my eyes shall be upon you, and my ears unto your prayers. [Psalm 33:16] And before you shall call upon me I will say: Behold, I am here." (Is 58:9)

Behold, I am here! We can hear Our Lord saying this: Behold, I am here! I am here on the altar! I am here in the tabernacle! I can also be here in your soul if you accept me!Dear Brethren, we cannot have life everlasting if we do not accept our Lord Jesus Christ in our lives. First, we must accept Him by Faith. But it is not enough. We must accept Him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist: I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:51-55Jesus wants to share His own life with each one of us. For that reason, He gives us an incredible way: He makes Himself our food which can provide the necessary and sufficient means to obtain eternal life. The Holy Eucharist is our food as pilgrims walking toward eternity. It is the food that gives us the strength and the ability to remain in the state of grace, to resist the temptation, to strengthen our will and to heal our defects. For that reason, the Church encourages us to receive Our Lord every day if possible."Gustate et videte quam suavis est Dominus!" Pslam 33 says again: "O taste and see that the Lord is sweet!" (Psalm 33: 9) He really is! What a comfort for us to have Jesus with us and for us! His presence in our souls brings peace and joy. Once we understand this, we will understand what being Catholic means. This is my wish for each one of us on this beautiful day of the Corpus Christi feast.

May Our Lady teach us how to love Her Son and how to receive Him with Faith, Hope and Charity.